Skyshow Triple Threat: Supermoon, Eclipse and Blue Moon Happen Next Week

Skywatchers will get a rare treat as three rare phenomena come together for next week's full moon. According to astronomers, next week's full moon will be a Supermoon, Blue Moon and lunar eclipse all in one. To give you an idea of how rare this event is, the last time a blue moon contained a lunar eclipse occurred a year after the civil war ended. 

The lunar eclipse will begin during moonset on January 31st according to NASA. People who live on the West Coast of the United States will get the best view of the eclipse. Those on the east coast will only get a partial eclipse as the moon will set behind the horizon before totality. 

The eclipse will last around 3 and a half hours, starting at 3:48 am PT, and ends around 7:12 am PT. Totality (when the moon is completely covered by the Earth's shadow) will last an incredible 77 minutes. 

That's not all. The full moon is also the second one in January making it a Blue Moon. Those occur every 2 and a half years, with January's last full moon happening on Jan. 1st. The moon doesn't actually appear blue - instead, thanks to the lunar eclipse, the moon will take on a dark reddish hue, sometimes referred to as a 'blood moon.'

These two events also happen to take place while the body is at the closest point of its orbit to the earth (also known as its perigee). That will give the moon the appearance of looking extra-close and far brighter than normal. Skywatchers could expect to see the moon appear up to 14% bigger and 30% brighter than a normal full moon at its furthest point from Earth (also known as its apogee) NASA said. 

Photo: Getty Images


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